Cardiff University | Prifysgol Caerdydd ORCA
Online Research @ Cardiff 
WelshClear Cookie - decide language by browser settings

An in vitro approach to assess the toxicity of inhaled tobacco smoke components: nicotine, cadmium, formaldehyde and urethane

Balharry, Dominique, Sexton, Keith John and Berube, Kelly Ann ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7471-7229 2008. An in vitro approach to assess the toxicity of inhaled tobacco smoke components: nicotine, cadmium, formaldehyde and urethane. Toxicology 244 (1) , pp. 66-76. 10.1016/j.tox.2007.11.001

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

One of the first lines of defence to inhaled toxins is the barrier formed by the tracheobronchial epithelium, making this the ideal region for studying the toxicity of inhaled substances. This study utilises a highly differentiated, three-dimensional, in vitro model of human upper respiratory tract epithelium (EpiAirway-100) to measure the acute toxicological responses to well-characterised tobacco smoke components. To determine the suitability of this model for screening inhaled toxicants, the EpiAirway tissue model (ETM) was treated apically with tobacco smoke components (nicotine, formaldehyde, cadmium, urethane) which are known to induce a variety of toxic effects (e.g. cytotoxic, thrombogenic, carcinogenic). A range of concentrations were used to model different mechanisms and severity of toxicity which were then compared to known in vivo responses. Similar trends in stress response occurred, with distinct alterations to the tissue in response to all four toxins. At high concentrations, cell viability decreased and tight junctions were degraded, but at sub-toxic concentrations epithelial resistance (indicating tissue integrity) increased 20–60% from control. This peak in resistance coincided with an increase in secreted protein levels, elevated cytokine release and goblet cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy. In conclusion, acute exposure to tobacco smoke components induces measurable toxic responses within human respiratory epithelium. Sub-toxic concentrations appear to illicit a protective response by increasing mucus secretion and mediating immune responses via cytokine release. These responses are comparable to human in vivo responses, indicating potential for the ETM as a tool for screening the toxicity of inhaled compounds.

Item Type: Article
Date Type: Publication
Status: Published
Schools: Biosciences
Publisher: Elsevier
ISSN: 0300-483X
Last Modified: 17 Oct 2022 10:40
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/8898

Citation Data

Cited 83 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item Edit Item